Cold Climate Rainwater Harvesting Systems

Rainwater harvesting and use was once a necessity.

Systematic rainwater harvesting for domestic use
has been practiced for thousands of years. Rainwater
catchment systems can be found in most regions of
the world, with adaptations suited to local climatic
conditions. Despite its long history and ubiquitous use,
rainwater harvesting is rarely practiced where safe,
abundant, and reliable water is supplied by public and
private utilities. But this is changing—the potential for
rainwater harvesting is being rediscovered as stress on
conventional potable water supplies increases.
Background
In recent years, pressures on municipal water supplies
in the United States, including demand, drought,
pollution, overallocation, overpumping, and inefficient
use, have brought increasing attention to water use
efficiency, water conservation, and rainwater harvesting
as methods of increasing water security. This is
especially the case in the arid southwest but also in
other areas of the country where drought, pollution,
or other problems occasionally limit the capability of
municipal utilities to meet increasing demand.
Collection, storage, and subsequent use of rainwater
from rooftops can reduce demand on municipal water
supplies. Rainwater is suitable for a range of residential
water uses (including toilet flushing, garden and
landscape irrigation, and clothes washing) without
extensive treatment. Rainwater use could offset
residential water use by 50% to 70%, depending on
region and system design and performance.
The basic components of rooftop rainwater harvesting
are the same regardless of region: collection area,
transport (gutters, pipe), first flush/filtration, storage,
and distribution. However, climate plays an important
Figure 1. FPL’s research demonstration house.
role in the specific design and operation of rainwater
harvesting systems. Systems used in the tropics differ
from those used in arid regions or those used in cold
climates. This study will extend the growing field of
knowledge in rainwater harvesting to contemporary
residential situations in cold climates.
Objective
This research and development program will evaluate
rainwater system options, design, and efficacy for
application to the Forest Products Laboratory’s research
demonstration house (Fig. 1). The most suitable
systems will then be constructed and integrated into the
interpretive program at the house.
The research demonstration house provides a unique
opportunity to demonstrate and evaluate the potential
for rainwater harvesting in cold climates. This study
includes development, design, construction, and
performance evaluation of a cold climate residential
rainwater harvesting system.

U. S. Department of Agriculture
Forest Service • Forest Products Laboratory
 RIP-3333-001

Approach
The study will be in three phases:
In the research and documentation phase,
existing conditions of the demonstration house
and site will be evaluated, along with products,
suppliers, and systems design options (Fig. 2).
The system options analysis and design
phase will fit the technologies to the facility
and interpretive program. The major design
challenge will be to determine what kind
of rainwater harvesting system will be
demonstrated and where it would be best located
for both interpretation and function (Fig. 3).
Three levels of rainwater use will be evaluated:
Figure 2. Rainwater harvesting system.
(a) landscape irrigation, (b) toilet flush and other
nonpotable uses, and (c) potable (treatment and
testing required).
The third phase will involve construction and
performance evaluation of the installed system.
Expected Outcomes
The research project will result in (1)
development and refinement of technologies for
rainwater harvesting and management in cold
climate, (2) performance and reliability data for
rainwater harvesting systems, (3) demonstration
of effective rainwater harvesting systems and
products, and (4) expanded public awareness
of the potential for rainwater harvesting in cold
climates
Timeline
House documentation and systems design will
be completed by spring 2004. The first series
Figure 3. Rainwater harvesting decision tree.
of water harvesting strategies will be built and
tested in summer 2004. Research on the first series
of systems and design revisions will be completed
by January 2005. Full commissioning of rainwater
systems demonstration is scheduled for summer
2005. Contact Information
Martin R. Yoklic, Associate Research Scientist
Cooperators Environmental Research Laboratory
USDA Forest Service, Forest Products University of Arizona
Laboratory Tucson, AZ
University of Arizona 520-626-2162